Peanut picker and cleaner



L v e e h W e e h S 2 L m 0 P H B J m d o M 0 N PEANUT PIGKER AND CLEANER.

WITNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. H. POWELL.

PEANUT PIOKER ANDVGLEANER. No. 304,560. ,4 Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

WITNESSES: v IN E TOR.

' 5 TURNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVERITT H. POlVELL, OF BUCKHORN, VIRGINIA.

PEANUT PICKER AND CLEANER.

QPECIPZCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,560, dated September 2, 1884. Application filed April U, 1884. (No model.)

:0 (Lil whom, it; may concern 7 Be it known that I, EVERITT H. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Buckhorn, in the county of Nansemond and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Peanut Pickers and Cleaners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of my improved peanut picker and cleaner. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, of the cylinder and its adjacent parts; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the mechanism for operating, the toothed bar E.

The same letters refer to the samc parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to machines for stripping peanuts from the vines and cleaning the same; and it has for its object to produce a machine which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness, durability, and general efficiency.

It consists in the improved construction and assemblage of parts, which will be hereinalter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings hereto annexed, A designates the frame of the machine, which consists of a suitably constructed casing equipped at its front end with a foot-b0ard, B, forming a stand for the operator, and having a feed-board, 0,.located in front of the cylinder D. The latter, which is mounted upon a shaft, E, journaled in the sides of the frame or casing, is constructed of a series of hoops or bands, F F, to which are secured a series of longitudinal rods or bars, G G, made of half-round iron, which are secured to the said hoops, with their flat edge or side exposed, and secured at their ends in the heads D, by which construction each of the bars is virtually provided with cutting-edges, which greatly assist in stripping the nuts from the vines when the latter are fed into the machine, as

will be hereinafter more fully described.

Arranged above the cylinder is a screen or concave, H, consisting of a series of suitablycurved bars, I, I, the front ends of which are5 5 connected by an inclined plate, J, and their rear ends by a transverse rod or bar, K. The sides of this screen have plates L L fitting against the sides of the casing, and in these plates, directly above the screeirbars, are piv- 6o otcd a series of transverse plates, M M. The inclination of the latter plates may be adjusted by means of a plate, N, sliding'longitndinally upon the upper edge of one'of the sides of the casing, and having notches 0, receiving 6.

the edges of the plates M. The plate N hafi slot, P, through which passes a set-screw, Q, by means of which it may be retained in any position to which it may adjusted, and it is provided at its front end with a handle, It,

by means of which it may be conveniently manipulated. These transverse plates serve, together with the bars of the cylinder, to strip the nuts from the vines as the latter are fed betw'cen the concave and the cylinder, and by adjusting the plates to stand at a more or less acute angle to the direction in whichthe vines travel the lower edges of the plates will offer, more or less resistance to the passage of the vines, so that they may be adjusted at differ cut angles, according to the condition of the vines, if more or less effort is required to remove the peanuts.

Extending downwardly from the rear edge of the feedboard, under the cylinder, and

principally to separate the nuts from the vines.

The latter then pass off over the tail-board V of the machine.

W is the fan-case, which is located,as shown, under the inclined plane T, and contains the rotary fan X, the shaft of which, Y, is provided at one end with a pinion, Z, that receives motion from the main spur-wheel A which is journaled to one side of the frame or casing. The other end of the fan-shaft has an eccentric, 13*, which is connected by a rod,O zoo with one arm. of a bell-crank lever, D the otherarm of which is pivotally connected with one end of a rod or bar, E sliding transversely in the frame, some distance underneath the screen U, and to which a reciprocating or vibrating motion is thus imparted. An inclined guideboard, F, leads from the rear end of the screen U to a point in rear of the reciprocating bar E", which latter is armed with rearwardly-extending teeth or prongs G". The latter is located directly above the opening of the fan-case, in rear of which is placed an inclined wind-board or deflector, H", of ordinary construction.

I is an apron or carrier leading from belo\ the wind-board to the front end of the machine, at which point it is highest. The apron is provided with transverse ribs to prevent the peanuts from slipping. The front shaft of the apron has a pinion, J engaging the main spur-wheel, from which motion is thus trans-- mitted to the said apron. The main spurwheel has a groove, in which runs a belt or band, K running over a drum, L, upon the cylinder-shaft, to which motion is thus imparted. This belt is kept taut by means of an ordinary belt-tightener, M", pivoted to the side of the frame or casing.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation of my invention will be readily understood. The machine maybe run by any suitable power applied directly to the main spur-wheel. The vines beingfed between the skeleton cylinder and the screen above the same, the nuts will be stripped from the vines by the combined action of the said cylinder, the screen, and the inclined plates arranged above and practically forming part of the same. The vines will pass off over the tailboard of the machine, and the nuts will drop upon and through the screen U, thence to the reciprocating toothed bar E, which separates them from any adhering dirt. The latter is blown off over the wind-board by the blast from the fan, and the nuts drop down upon the inclined apron or carrier,which conveys them to the front end of the machine, where they may be gathered in bags or other suitable receptacles.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a peanut-stripper, the herein-described cylinder, the same consisting, essentially, of a shaft, two heads, a series of annularhoops or bands, and rods or bars of half-round iron, secured longitudinally to the said hoops or bands, with their flat sides exposed, as herein described, for the purpose shown and specified.

2. In apeanut-stripper,the herein-described 6o concave, the same consisting of a series of curved bars connected at their front ends by an inclined plate and at their rear ends by a transverse bar, a pair of side plates,transverse plates mounted pivotally in the said side plates, and means for adjusting the said pivoted plates to any desired inclination, substantially as set forth.

3. In a peanut-stripper, the combination of the skeleton cylinder having longitudinal bars of half-round iron, the screen arranged above the same, the transverse plates mounted pivotally in the side plates of the said screen, and means for adjusting the said pivoted plates to and retaining them at any desired inclination, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. v

4. As an improvement in peanut strippers and cleaners, the combination of the frame, the skeleton cylinder,the cylinder-screen, having pivoted and adjustable transverse plates, the inclined plane T, the screen U, the vibrating toothed bar E the fan, the inclined carrying-apron, and suitable operating mechanism, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto aflixed my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

EVERITI H. POWELL.

Witnesses:

THOMAS A. MCOLENNY, WV. J. Smrons. 

